Tetsuwan Scientific Secures $2.7M to Develop AI Scientists That Will Transform Research and Speed Up Discoveries

As children, the founders of Tetsuwan Scientific, Cristian Ponce and Theo Schafer, were captivated by Astro Boy, a show about a robotic child who used his advanced intellect and compassion to protect humanity from danger. In Japan, the show is known as Tetsuwan Atom, and its legacy was one of the first glimpses into a world where machines could think and act alongside humans. Inspired by this sense of wonder, both Ponce and Schafer pursued careers in science and technology, attending prestigious institutions such as Caltech, ETH Zurich, and MIT. It was here that they nurtured a shared vision: a future where technology not only augmented human potential but redefined it. That vision is now coming to life through Tetsuwan Scientific, a cutting-edge startup that is harnessing the power of robotics and AI to accelerate scientific discovery.

Founded in 2023, Tetsuwan Scientific is on a mission to automate the scientific method itself. Through the development of fully autonomous AI-powered “scientists,” the company aims to revolutionize how experiments are conducted, speeding up the pace of discovery and making it more reproducible. In the short term, these AI scientists will serve as advanced assistants to human researchers, able to conduct complex experiments with a level of precision and scalability previously thought unattainable. This breakthrough has the potential to transform industries like cancer therapeutics, precision medicine, and drug discovery.

The long-term impact of Tetsuwan’s AI scientists, however, is even more profound. The company envisions a future where AI scientists not only assist in experiments but independently set and pursue their own scientific goals. This would mean AI capable of creating hypotheses, designing experiments, and executing discoveries without human intervention. If successful, this development could automate the scientific method entirely, accelerating progress in a way that could lead to exponential growth in human knowledge, with far-reaching consequences for global health, technology, and society.

Tetsuwan’s Breakthrough and Funding Success

To bring this ambitious vision to life, Tetsuwan has raised an oversubscribed $2.7 million pre-seed funding round, led by 2048 Ventures. The round also saw participation from Carbon Silicon, Everywhere Ventures, and prominent angel investors such as Sonia Arrison from the Foresight Institute and Eduardo Torrealba of Formlabs. This influx of capital is crucial for Tetsuwan’s efforts to advance its autonomous AI systems, with the company already deploying its first AI-powered robot in a rare disease gene therapeutics lab.

The additional funding has allowed Tetsuwan to rapidly expand its team to seven, drawing talent from top universities like Caltech, ETH Zurich, MIT, and UC Davis. The leadership of Cristian Ponce, who holds a background in biological engineering from Caltech, and Theo Schafer, who recently completed a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from ETH Zurich and MIT, is central to the company’s drive to revolutionize scientific research. Ponce’s previous work in full-genome engineering and Schafer’s expertise in mechanical engineering and robotics provide a solid foundation for Tetsuwan’s vision to merge robotics with artificial intelligence.

Scaling Discovery Through AI

Tetsuwan is part of a rapidly growing trend in science and technology, as AI and robotics begin to reshape the lab environment. The company is one of the first to commercialize the concept of autonomous AI scientists, systems that combine robotics and advanced AI to conduct real-world experiments. Much like Waymo’s innovations in autonomous vehicles, Tetsuwan aims to bring similar advancements to the scientific lab, with AI scientists that can independently perform intricate tasks, thus freeing up human researchers for more creative and high-level scientific thinking.

However, the journey to this future has not been without challenges. Current automation in life sciences is typically limited to achieving high volumes of experiments rather than the variety and complexity needed to conduct novel research. Most lab robots require extensive programming by engineers to replicate protocols, which means they often operate more like assembly lines than assistants to human scientists. This limited scope has hindered the widespread adoption of robotic systems in many scientific domains.

While lab robots have traditionally been incapable of understanding the nuances of experimental intent, AI has the potential to unlock a new era of automation. With the right AI-powered systems, lab robots can communicate like human scientists, interpreting experimental concepts, understanding context, and executing tasks with an awareness of intent. As these AI systems evolve, they will become far more than tools for repetitive tasks—they will become true collaborators in scientific discovery.

Enabling Faster, Smarter Science

The development of AI scientists will significantly amplify the capabilities of human researchers. By automating routine tasks, AI scientists will allow human scientists to focus more on analyzing data, formulating new hypotheses, and driving innovation. This shift will not only increase the efficiency of scientific workflows but will also unlock the creative potential of human researchers, enabling them to tackle larger and more complex challenges.

Ultimately, Tetsuwan’s goal is to create AI systems that can not only assist but independently generate and act on scientific intent, leading to the automation of the scientific method itself. This could dramatically speed up the process of experimentation, allowing researchers to explore more hypotheses in less time and, in turn, exponentially accelerating the pace of discovery. Whether in the development of new drugs, therapies, or genetically engineered organisms, Tetsuwan’s technology has the potential to catalyze some of the most significant advancements in human history.